Thanks for the video. I liked all the books you recommended (the ones I was familiar with, at least). I might also suggest a copy of the Apostolic Fathers and Eusebius' Church History. I know they aren't theology books in the proper sense, but they give insight into the early church, which is often forgotten in Protestantism.
By the way, John Frame recently released Concise Systematic Theology. It's an update and revision of his previous Salvation Belongs to the Lord. It's not as "concise" as, say, J.I. Packer's Concise Theology which is actually very concise - only a page or two per theological topic and only about maybe 200-250 pages total for the entire book. But still Concise Systematic Theology is more "concise" than Frame's much longer Systematic Theology. I know Frame has ruffled the feathers of the otherwise good folks at Westminster California (I respect and appreciate both sides and I wish there wasn't such bad blood between these people because we can learn from both camps) but still for an introductory theology I highly recommend his Concise Systematic Theology as well as his works in general.
For anyone looking to get into some really good theological study without spending a ton of money on books, or trying to hunt down good deals on used ones. Just about everything older than ~1920 is public domain and much of it is available on the internet archive for free. There's some incredible stuff on there, especially from the Puritans, who had great theologians and wrote very extensively. You can also get all of tge early church fathers' writings, and so much more.
The Westminster dictionary has been especially helpful. One recent theological work has impressed me, Fleming Rutledge's The Crucifixion, the best book I've read on the Atonement.
Lol. Nah. If you are reformed or a dispensationalist...then sure. Any systematic theology book (especially the laughable MacArthur one) are must avoids.
This is clearly a reformed baptist giving the recomendations so they would not put catholic saints or fathers in thier 12 essentials. I as a reformed baptist would put Confessions as my 12th but Augustine and Pascal are the only Catholics I reccomend and the others are more for historical backround knowledge than actual theological growth. Since from my perspective thier teachings were...interesting. Catholics seem to forget that the reformation was started by men steeped in history, so it is quite easy to be steeped in history and not be catholic so long as you actually read both sides.
@@byhisstripes2713 No, it's just like comparing Spurgeon with Steve Anderson. You may differ with Spurgeon, but differing with him is far different than differing with Anderson.
@@DizzySaxophone Seems you're unfamiliar with fact-stating regardless of who that fact is about, even if the fact is about the speaker. You must be thinking Jesus and Paul were pretty prideful too. Right doctrine is essential. However, It is open secret that most 'pastors' today just know readymade theology, but have little connect with the Biblical accounts themselves. They can't even quote a verse ex tempore 'to save their lives'. AW Tozer lamented this lack of devotional knowledge of God in preachers and laymen. Many are satisfied with the 'bare essentials' so to speak. And systematic theology often times tends to bring out in people a smug sense of accomplishment without desire for any way forward in faith journey which involves, in large part, knowing the actual words and narrations in your Bible. People admire and listen to RC Sproul, John Mc Arthur etc, as they should. But they don't take into account the sheer love these men have for the written word of God.
The fact is, no actual Christian looks to any book other than the Bible. The truth is ALL of the churches theologians, scholars, pastors, preachers, and teachers are ALL completely Biblically illiterate and are NOT Christians. The very, very, very few who actually understand the Bible do not ever look to any book other than the Bible. It is only those who do not belong to God and cannot understand the Bible that look to books other than the Bible. They are all nothing but the blind following the blind.
Doing Gods will instead of our own is the thing we’re supposed to be focused on. Only those who DO the will of my Father in Heaven will enter in. Read all the books and translations of Gods word you want. That will make you a Pharisee. Not a disciple. I came here not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me………..That’s all you need to know. He who has ears let him hear. It’s too late to go back now to Your comfort zone, if you’ve read these words. Theologian or disciple. We know how that ended.
To be a disciple of Christ is to study His Word, understand His will, and seek to know and serve Him more fully. That is what theological studies are all about. Do some give too much focus to academic pursuits and lose sight of truly following after Jesus? Yes. Does that mean we should abandon a means that God has given for us to become better disciples of Jesus? No. That would be to fall into an equal yet opposite error.
grace, Wayne Grudem is a false prophet with false visions from God. "“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart,Not from the mouth of the Lord." Jeremiah 23:16
I always thought that all we had to do was read the Bible and the Holy Spirit would guide us. Gee I wounder if the Holy Spirit has studied a systematic theology, maybe it would help Him understand what He wrote.
All of our theological studies should begin with and be checked against Scripture. The Bible also encourages us to learn from other faithful believers, and this includes those who teach through writing.
The ability to learn from other godly men is helpful to anyone who wants to grow spiritually. The Bible is clear that God gives the church teachers, and it is good to learn from those teachers. This isn't to say all or even most Christians need to read systematic theology in their spare time, but your position seems to be that using other books to help understand the Scripture better is somehow going beyond what God intended.
Why? I can’t but commend and share my gratitude for Calvin’s writings. What writings do you recommend to stay away from? Have you engaged Calvin’s works?
How to become a Calvinist 101.
Spot-on episode!
Extremely helpful!
Thanks!
Thanks for the video. I liked all the books you recommended (the ones I was familiar with, at least). I might also suggest a copy of the Apostolic Fathers and Eusebius' Church History. I know they aren't theology books in the proper sense, but they give insight into the early church, which is often forgotten in Protestantism.
Thanks for the added recommendations!
By the way, John Frame recently released Concise Systematic Theology. It's an update and revision of his previous Salvation Belongs to the Lord. It's not as "concise" as, say, J.I. Packer's Concise Theology which is actually very concise - only a page or two per theological topic and only about maybe 200-250 pages total for the entire book. But still Concise Systematic Theology is more "concise" than Frame's much longer Systematic Theology. I know Frame has ruffled the feathers of the otherwise good folks at Westminster California (I respect and appreciate both sides and I wish there wasn't such bad blood between these people because we can learn from both camps) but still for an introductory theology I highly recommend his Concise Systematic Theology as well as his works in general.
MacArthur, no. Frame, no. Grudem, heck no!
Try Berkhof or Reymond. Much better choices.
Amen on that. There is nothing more biblical than the Reformed faith.
For anyone looking to get into some really good theological study without spending a ton of money on books, or trying to hunt down good deals on used ones. Just about everything older than ~1920 is public domain and much of it is available on the internet archive for free. There's some incredible stuff on there, especially from the Puritans, who had great theologians and wrote very extensively. You can also get all of tge early church fathers' writings, and so much more.
Repent of your fake christianity!
The Westminster dictionary has been especially helpful. One recent theological work has impressed me, Fleming Rutledge's The Crucifixion, the best book I've read on the Atonement.
Great recommendations, whole heartily agree with everything you recommend!
This is because you, like the guy in thins video are not a Christian. No actual Christian looks to or has any book other than the Bible.
Lol. Nah. If you are reformed or a dispensationalist...then sure. Any systematic theology book (especially the laughable MacArthur one) are must avoids.
Ah, so no Aquinas, Origen, Kempis or Newman.
Why would you read them when you have John McArthur 😂
This is clearly a reformed baptist giving the recomendations so they would not put catholic saints or fathers in thier 12 essentials. I as a reformed baptist would put Confessions as my 12th but Augustine and Pascal are the only Catholics I reccomend and the others are more for historical backround knowledge than actual theological growth. Since from my perspective thier teachings were...interesting. Catholics seem to forget that the reformation was started by men steeped in history, so it is quite easy to be steeped in history and not be catholic so long as you actually read both sides.
@@johnsonc8 With all due respect, comparing MacArthur with Aquinas is a disrespect to the Dominican.
Beginners guide to Popery? rofl
@@byhisstripes2713 No, it's just like comparing Spurgeon with Steve Anderson. You may differ with Spurgeon, but differing with him is far different than differing with Anderson.
William Collins wrote the Baptist catechism not Keach
Add Aquinas summa theologica, James White the forgotten trinity, berkhof how interpret scripture, and Lee Irons the OIKOS covenant...
Repent of your fake christianity!
I've never read a systematic theology book. Yet, I know more about Scripture than MOST pastors in the modern culture
🤣
Sounds pretty prideful
@@DizzySaxophone Seems you're unfamiliar with fact-stating regardless of who that fact is about, even if the fact is about the speaker. You must be thinking Jesus and Paul were pretty prideful too.
Right doctrine is essential. However, It is open secret that most 'pastors' today just know readymade theology, but have little connect with the Biblical accounts themselves. They can't even quote a verse ex tempore 'to save their lives'.
AW Tozer lamented this lack of devotional knowledge of God in preachers and laymen. Many are satisfied with the 'bare essentials' so to speak. And systematic theology often times tends to bring out in people a smug sense of accomplishment without desire for any way forward in faith journey which involves, in large part, knowing the actual words and narrations in your Bible.
People admire and listen to RC Sproul, John Mc Arthur etc, as they should. But they don't take into account the sheer love these men have for the written word of God.
Most pastors have not read Systematic Theology.
The fact is, no actual Christian looks to any book other than the Bible. The truth is ALL of the churches theologians, scholars, pastors, preachers, and teachers are ALL completely Biblically illiterate and are NOT Christians.
The very, very, very few who actually understand the Bible do not ever look to any book other than the Bible. It is only those who do not belong to God and cannot understand the Bible that look to books other than the Bible. They are all nothing but the blind following the blind.
How about watchman nee?
Watchman Nee, as well as every other church scholar, pastor, preacher, and teacher are all 100% frauds. All blind guides.
Doing Gods will instead of our own is the thing we’re supposed to be focused on. Only those who DO the will of my Father in Heaven will enter in. Read all the books and translations of Gods word you want.
That will make you a Pharisee. Not a disciple. I came here not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me………..That’s all you need to know. He who has ears let him hear. It’s too late to go back now to
Your comfort zone, if you’ve read these words. Theologian or disciple. We know how that ended.
To be a disciple of Christ is to study His Word, understand His will, and seek to know and serve Him more fully. That is what theological studies are all about. Do some give too much focus to academic pursuits and lose sight of truly following after Jesus? Yes. Does that mean we should abandon a means that God has given for us to become better disciples of Jesus? No. That would be to fall into an equal yet opposite error.
grace, Wayne Grudem is a false prophet with false visions from God. "“Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you.
They make you worthless; They speak a vision of their own heart,Not from the mouth of the Lord." Jeremiah 23:16
Wayne G. as well as all those mentioned in this video are ALL frauds.
I always thought that all we had to do was read the Bible and the Holy Spirit would guide us. Gee I wounder if the Holy Spirit has studied a systematic theology, maybe it would help Him understand what He wrote.
All of our theological studies should begin with and be checked against Scripture. The Bible also encourages us to learn from other faithful believers, and this includes those who teach through writing.
You could say the same about sermons.
The ability to learn from other godly men is helpful to anyone who wants to grow spiritually. The Bible is clear that God gives the church teachers, and it is good to learn from those teachers.
This isn't to say all or even most Christians need to read systematic theology in their spare time, but your position seems to be that using other books to help understand the Scripture better is somehow going beyond what God intended.
Theology is okay, just be careful because there's a lot of man's ideas. And be careful about Calvinism.
@@OkOk-rn7to Is it the predestination stuff you don't like about Calvinism?
John Calvin? Stay away from the fellow.
Should I also stay away from every non-methodist protestant until 1850 then? Also Whitfield.
Calvin was awesome!
Why? I can’t but commend and share my gratitude for Calvin’s writings. What writings do you recommend to stay away from? Have you engaged Calvin’s works?
why?, I Might not agree with his conclusions but he a great theologian attempting to be faithful to the Word